Reed replaces McMahon as shadow environment secretary

Jim McMahon has resigned from the role of shadow secretary of state for environment as Sir Keir Starmer has conducted a wide-ranging reshuffle of his top team.

The Oldham MP has been replaced by Steve Reed, who has moved from the role of shadow justice secretary.

Prior to this role, which he took on in November 2021, Reed was shadow secretary of state for communities and local government.

Before becoming MP for Croydon North in 2012, he was leader of the London borough of Lambeth and worked in publishing.

On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Reed praised McMahon’s “excellent work” exposing the Tories sewage scandal and pledged to “work tirelessly to preserve our precious nature, win a fairer deal for farmers, tackle food price inflation and end the scandal of sewage being dumped in our rivers, lakes and seas”.

McMahon had held the environment, food and rural affairs portfolio since November 2021 when he replaced Luke Pollard.

In his reply to McMahon’s resignation letter, Starmer refers to “violent threats” that the former and his family have suffered. In addition, the Labour leader refers to ongoing health issues that McMahon has coped with.

In other shadow Cabinet reshuffle news, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has replaced Lisa Nandy as shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities.

The reshuffle has seen no move for energy security and climate change shadow secretary Ed Miliband, who has been subject to hostile internal Labour briefing over his push for radical action on cutting emissions.

This sniping has intensified in the wake of the opposition’s failure to win the Uxbridge by-election amidst a backlash against the introduction of London mayor Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emissions zone.